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Istanbul Biennial: Solidarity with Gezi Park protesters

Art in public spaces - thanks to Turkey's political unrest, the topic is more relevant than ever before. The Biennial in Istanbul runs until October 20, but organizers are already recognizing its resonance with visitors.

Public space as political forum

Long before the Gezi park protests, the motto of the 13th Biennial in Istanbul, "Mom, am I a barbarian?" had already been determined. When demonstrations broke out, however, many in Istanbul's art scene took part. The events dominate this year's Biennial.

Standing man from Taksim Square

Turkish artist Erdem Gündüz gained worldwide fame with his silent protest in Taksim Square. For hours, he simply stood there in silence as an alternative to noisy protest. Hundreds of thousands joined him. At the Biennial, the silent artist will speak, play music and give talks about the people from Gezi Park.

Kafka and a wall

In political protest, Biennial organizers withdrew their applications to some of the exhibition rooms. As a result, artists found unique, alternative exhibition opportunities. Here, artist Jorge Mendez Blake placed Franz Kafka's book "The Castle" under a wall. The wall is deformed and appears unstable, illustrating how a small object can influence a larger system.

Breaking the fast

Hamburg-based artist Christoph Schäfer focuses on the topic of public spaces as a political forum. The middle sketch illustrates a "political breaking of the fast" in Istanbul's Yeniköy district. On that evening, a constructive political discussion had occured, which inspired the artist.

Gezi Park Fiction

The sketch from Hamburg-based artist Christoph Schäfer shows "Park Fiction" in Hamburg. During the protests in Turkey, the German park changed its name in solidarity with "Gezi Park Fiction." Fifteen years ago, Schäfer himself fought for the preservation of "Park Fiction." With his sketches he seeks to encourage Turkish activists.

The power of a group

Protest drives history: The massive banner comes from the art collective Freee, which includes British artists Dave Beech, Andy Hewitt and Mel Jordan. With this statement, the artists intended to express that collective public action truly can change society. The banner originally hung in London.

Art at school

Even this is a public space: The Greek Orthodox primary school in Istanbul's Karaköy district is hosting five of the exhibt rooms for the Biennial. Young artists here offer music, choreography and readings.

"Between Two Seas"

Turkish photographer Serkan Taycan's exhibit centers around Istanbul's controversial construction boom. Along a 60 kilometer path between the Black Sea and the Marmora Sea, he photographed various locations slated for construction. He then produced a photo series, allowing citizens to visualize the change their community was about to undergo. The photos can be seen in the Greek-Orthodox school.

Prime location

"Arter - Space of Art" is one of the top 10 exhibition halls in Istanbul - not only because it's located in the city's central pedestrian zone, Istiklal Caddesi, which leads directly to Taksim Square. Artists can count on reaching a large pedestrian audience, since many passers-by stop to take a peek at the exhibits inside.

Palestinian contributions

Inside the Arter exhibition hall, Basel Abbas and Ruanne Abou-Rahme showcase art from Ramallah. They focus on the politics of desire and the absurdity of power. Their work is based on stories and photos, including the writings of Walter Benjamin from the 1930s regarding fascism in Europe.

Artistic chaos

The exhibition titled "Salt Beyoglu" is also located in Istanbul's pedestrian zone. Argentinian artist Diego Bianchi crafted one of his typical scenes of the absurd - this time a market where everything can be bought and sold. He calls the work "Market or Die." The casually scribbled hodgepodge of objects in an unfinished room is Bianchi's trademark.

Public space as political forum

Long before the Gezi park protests, the motto of the 13th Biennial in Istanbul, "Mom, am I a barbarian?" had already been determined. When demonstrations broke out, however, many in Istanbul's art scene took part. The events dominate this year's Biennial.

Standing man from Taksim Square

Turkish artist Erdem Gündüz gained worldwide fame with his silent protest in Taksim Square. For hours, he simply stood there in silence as an alternative to noisy protest. Hundreds of thousands joined him. At the Biennial, the silent artist will speak, play music and give talks about the people from Gezi Park.

Kafka and a wall

In political protest, Biennial organizers withdrew their applications to some of the exhibition rooms. As a result, artists found unique, alternative exhibition opportunities. Here, artist Jorge Mendez Blake placed Franz Kafka's book "The Castle" under a wall. The wall is deformed and appears unstable, illustrating how a small object can influence a larger system.

Breaking the fast

Hamburg-based artist Christoph Schäfer focuses on the topic of public spaces as a political forum. The middle sketch illustrates a "political breaking of the fast" in Istanbul's Yeniköy district. On that evening, a constructive political discussion had occured, which inspired the artist.

Gezi Park Fiction

The sketch from Hamburg-based artist Christoph Schäfer shows "Park Fiction" in Hamburg. During the protests in Turkey, the German park changed its name in solidarity with "Gezi Park Fiction." Fifteen years ago, Schäfer himself fought for the preservation of "Park Fiction." With his sketches he seeks to encourage Turkish activists.

The power of a group

Protest drives history: The massive banner comes from the art collective Freee, which includes British artists Dave Beech, Andy Hewitt and Mel Jordan. With this statement, the artists intended to express that collective public action truly can change society. The banner originally hung in London.

Art at school

Even this is a public space: The Greek Orthodox primary school in Istanbul's Karaköy district is hosting five of the exhibt rooms for the Biennial. Young artists here offer music, choreography and readings.

"Between Two Seas"

Turkish photographer Serkan Taycan's exhibit centers around Istanbul's controversial construction boom. Along a 60 kilometer path between the Black Sea and the Marmora Sea, he photographed various locations slated for construction. He then produced a photo series, allowing citizens to visualize the change their community was about to undergo. The photos can be seen in the Greek-Orthodox school.

Prime location

"Arter - Space of Art" is one of the top 10 exhibition halls in Istanbul - not only because it's located in the city's central pedestrian zone, Istiklal Caddesi, which leads directly to Taksim Square. Artists can count on reaching a large pedestrian audience, since many passers-by stop to take a peek at the exhibits inside.

Palestinian contributions

Inside the Arter exhibition hall, Basel Abbas and Ruanne Abou-Rahme showcase art from Ramallah. They focus on the politics of desire and the absurdity of power. Their work is based on stories and photos, including the writings of Walter Benjamin from the 1930s regarding fascism in Europe.

Artistic chaos

The exhibition titled "Salt Beyoglu" is also located in Istanbul's pedestrian zone. Argentinian artist Diego Bianchi crafted one of his typical scenes of the absurd - this time a market where everything can be bought and sold. He calls the work "Market or Die." The casually scribbled hodgepodge of objects in an unfinished room is Bianchi's trademark.